Gold Hits 2-Week High On Greenback Slide, Trump Turmoil Gold prices are posting good gains, trading at a two-week high in early U.S. activity Wednesday, on some safe-haven demand and amid an eroding U.S. dollar index. June Comex gold was last up $12.80 an ounce at $1,249.20. July Comex silver was last up $0.203 at $16.945 an ounce.
World stock markets are shaky mid-week amid a slumping U.S. dollar against the major world currencies. The dollar index hit a six-month low overnight and has been pressured in part recently by what many traders and investors see as increasing tensions in the Trump Administration that could at least delay or prevent his pro-business and other initiatives from succeeding, or at most eventually derail his presidency.
The latest reports on the Trump turmoil say the U.S. President may have asked the FBI to back off investigating ousted national security advisor Michael Flynn. Up to now, the marketplace had been mostly ignoring the politics in Washington, D.C. However, markets are now thinking Trump could be in some real trouble. That’s bullish for safe-haven gold.
Nymex crude oil futures prices firmer in early U.S. trading today. Oil bulls still have some upside momentum as Nymex futures prices have rallied around $6.00 a barrel from the May low.
U.S. economic data due for release Wednesday is light and includes the weekly MBA mortgage applications survey and the weekly DOE liquid energy stocks report.